Begun By Blood, By Blood Undone
by The Poisoned Quill
Summary: Hermione has to decide what to do before march, now it doesn't just affect her. Mel's falling for an older boy. And Bellatrix has brought help. But in the midst of chaos, they have a ball to attend. bad summary. Sequel to the line between love and hate.
1. Dear Lucius

_My Pen name did used to be **Leena White**, but for reasons that are too long to explain, I have changed it to The **Poisoned Quill**. Also, this is a sequel to The line between love and hate, so if you did not read that one, I **don't** suggest starting with this one. Disclaimer, I don't own anything that I didn't own previously._

* * *

He scanned the letter for the second time, his grip on his glass was tight enough that it shattered in his hand. He didn't even notice the deep cuts in his hand, though it did register that they shook out of pure rage. That stupid ungrateful little bastard, parading around with a mud blood. After everything he'd instilled in the child, he chose to be insolent, to disrespect them so. He had no right to smear their family name with her slime.

And her, did she think she'd get away with such a feeble grab at the name. Did she think she'd get onto _their_ family tree, now that she'd taken his niece from her mother. And everybody had always bragged about how smart the girl was. If she was smart, she'd have never nosed in and brought the ministry with her. She had to be stopped, before Mel was dragged in and contaminated by the filth that the mud blood spent her time with.

And the accusations that Weasley girl, or maybe she'd married Potter by now for his fame and fortune, had written up in her bogus report. Well, it wasn't like she was in a position to be making calls on what mother deserved to keep her child. He still had influence in the ministry, he thought smugly, they couldn't get rid of him completely.

He'd help his sister-in-law. And he'd have a nice long chat with his son, after Granger was good and dead.

Class was out of session, she hurried down the halls anxiously, her blonde hair flying around her face when she stopped in front of the portraits. Hermione'd told her she had a surprise for her. And she wanted to know. But they were taking _forever,_ she thought as she waited. This was important and they were taking a century.

Hermione stepped out of the portrait first, Draco just stood in the doorway so that it wouldn't close. "What's the rush?" She laughed as she saw the excitement in her eyes. Mel couldn't hold still for more than a second. "You'd think someone was expecting something."

Mel just rolled her eyes, looked at Draco for a minute before only half glaring at Hermione. "Come on, you told me that you had something for me on _Monday._ That was _days _ago."

"Yes." Hermione rolled her eyes. "That was five whole days, I'm surprised you survived. Well, come on in then."

Mel tried not to run, and to take her time. Hermione was enjoying torturing her a little too much. She'd never get around to revealing the surprise if she could enjoy watching her reaction. So she wouldn't give her anything to left the room for a moment, Mel started after him but Hermione held her back for a minute. "Mel, we need to talk about this first."

Mel just nodded, turned to look at her. She'd gotten her hair cut, she saw that now, it was no longer down to her elbows, no, now it hung comfortably at her shoulders. And it looked great on her. She didn't have to try to be beautiful and she wondered if one day, she could be that easy about her appearance. But that was most likely not what Hermione wanted to talk about.

"I have to admit, this is going to take a lot of responsibility, and I almost didn't because I wasn't sure how you'd react..." She let her voice trail off, secretly pleased at the flicker of annoyance in Mel's eyes. Her eyes were just like her cousins, everything they were thinking was in there, if you knew them well enough. "But I went and did it anyway."

"Do you intend to tell me anytime today?" Mel, already impatient, just wanted to scream. She wanted to _know._

Hermione glanced over at Draco, who was now slightly standing in the doorway. "Yeah, I think we're about ready. You have to close your eyes though."

Mel just rolled them before she did as she was told. Draco came out with his arms full, Hermione reached out to stroke the white fur, it arched under her touch and tried to nuzzle her friends. "I don't know, Draco," She stuck her tongue in her cheek. "I just don't think Mel's ready, I really think we should give this some more thought, maybe another week."

"Hey!" Mel stuck her tongue out in her general direction. "You guys aren't very nice."

"I don't know, maybe your right." Draco grinned at the two, teasing had become their favorite recreational habit. And it may have been to lighten the tension, and the knowledge that eventually Bellatrix would come back, hopefully alone. But it was still fun to watch. Carefully he placed the tiny little kitten in her arms. "Maybe you should ask this little guy instead."

The squeal she let out was both excited and endearing, she held the kitten close to her, pressed her face to it's fur. Almost as eagerly, it pushed against her face, purred in her ear as it cuddled up against her neck. Carefully she peered at them under her lashes, tried to see if there was some kind of catch. "Is he mine?"

"Only if you want him." Hermione scratched a spot right in the middle of his head, his head tipped back and his mouth dropped just a little, the purr emitting from his throat was louder, less contained. By the way Mel held him, she didn't have to ask, she knew the girl would keep him and love him for a good portion of her life. "You do have to choose a name for him though, I didn't feel right picking one for you."

"Let's see." She pulled the cat up to look him in the eyes. He could fit in her palm, she realized, and she never thought she'd see something quite so small. But he'd grow up to be big, and by the look of him, he'd always be elegant. An elegant cat needed an elegant name. Not girly, but something that was of the ages. "James." She decided after another moment of deliberation. "His name will be James."

"I like it." Draco nodded, grimaced at the clock for a moment. "Why don't you go get him settled in in your dorm, and then it'll be about time for dinner."

"Alright." She put the kitten down on the sofa for a minute, threw her arms around Hermione first. "I love him, thank you."

"I got my cat when I was your age." She tightened her hold on her for a moment, relishing the easy affection Mel gave. It wasn't for everybody, she knew because Mel still hadn't taken to Ron too well, but when she hugged you it made you feel as if everything in the whole world would balance out because of it. "The love of a pet is the only thing that can get you out of bed some days."

Mel moved on to Draco, squeezing him tightly, because she knew she couldn't hurt him yet. In a few years she'd have to loosen up, but for now, she was small enough that he had his own way of handling her. And he did as he lifted her just long enough to kiss her cheek. She laughed and picked back up the cat as soon as her feet hit the ground. "Bye." She called behind her as she darted from the room, the adults grinning like fools.

"And then it'll be dinner?" Hermione smacked his arm lightly, rolled her eyes. "That is the worst excuse to get me alone I've ever heard. And trust me, I've heard some pretty bad ones. That one ties with "I just have some forms I need you to look over in private."

"And who used that one?" His arms wrapped around her, his mouth was on hers in that instant.

"You'll never find out." She smiled, her fingers starting on the buttons of his shirt. "But you know what, whatever works."

"I can see that." He slid his hand down her side carefully, finding all the sensitive spots as he brought it back up. As she moaned beneath his touch, let her fingers trace the exposed skin that his open shirt revealed, he decided they just were not going to make it to the bed.

Mel was sitting by herself after dinner in a corridor that was practically deserted. James was curled up on her lap, the kitten had followed her right out of the common room, which was fine. She just wanted to be away from her noisy, obnoxious classmates. How come she never noticed exactly how immature they were, expecially the boys. They'd spent a good portion of the time she was in there harrassing her about her new kitten and her "mud blood friend" as they called David.

How did they get that? They didn't even talk. She saw him a couple of times, but seriously, was there anything wrong with saying hello to someone? Besides, who cares who his parents are. She just knew that he was a nice guy, and if she wanted to be his friend, she should be able to without being mocked. But since she never saw him anyway, him being seventh year and ravenclaw while she was a third year slytherin, it was very unlikely that it would matter whether she wanted to be his friend or not.

There were foot steps, and long legs stopped in front of her. She looked up into the eyes of David himself. "Hey." She smiled lightly, praying that he wouldn't know that she had been thinking of him.

"Hey." He reached down to pet the kitten in her lap, James stretched and sniffed David's hand for a moment before settling back in. "He's awesome, is he yours?"

"Yeah." She looked down at James as David sat next to her on the brick. "Hermione got him for me."

"That's great." He continued to stroke the cat, not minding the closeness. There were a few people that walked by, giving him dirty looks. All slytherins, he guessed, because they were all heading toward the slytherin dormitories. "What's his name?"

"James." She sighed it, still relishing the fact that some creature was completely dependent on her now. And she was always take care of him. But at the moment, there was another thought, one that needed expressing. "So, what brings you down here, toward the dungeon levels?"

"Do I need a reason?" She just looked at him blandly. "Alright, so I was hoping maybe to talk to you."

She didn't press him for any more, just sat there for a minute before she spoke finally. "I keep coming to the library after dinner, because I keep hoping to see you."

"And I keep coming down here." He chuckled, of course they would end up avoiding eachother by accident.

"Thank you, by the way." She said finally, after realizing that James was officially asleep, he weighed a whole lot more when he was asleep. "For what you did in potions class. I don't know if you did it to protect your classmates or to protect Draco, Professor Malfoy." She corrected quickly, knowing there were few who knew his first name. "But thank you anyway."

"I'd do it again." He didn't tell her today that he did it to keep her safe, because it wouldn't change anything except that she'd end up thinking he expected her to be his friend because she owed him. And he couldn't let her think that, it felt too wrong.

"It was still a stupid move." She shook her head, laughter in her eyes. "One most people probably wouldn't get away with."

"Well," He kept his eyes forward, knowing that if he looked at her, he'd end up staring. How was it someone so much younger could be so grown up and so beautiful. Did it matter? In his eyes she was a woman where the rest of the students around him would see her as just a girl. "I never claimed to be most people, did I."

She thought about this for a minute. "I guess not."


	2. deciding what's best

_There are two major pairings in this story (I will be focusing mainly on Draco and Hermione still), and I could only choose one. _

_So this chapter is mostly fluff, because I thought we all needed it. Ms. Lily _will_ be playing a part in the story, whether big or small, I'm not sure. Thank you to my reviewers and I hope you enjoy this chapter._

_Disclaimer:I do not own... (insert boring stuff here)_

* * *

She needed some time alone. She needed to think. And as she paced back and forth through her small yet cozy living room, she still had no idea what she was going to do.

She couldn't go back to her job in the ministry. That was only supposed to be a temporary thing until she figured out exactly what she wanted to do. Three years, she stopped in her tracks for a moment, she'd been in that middle place for almost three years. She knew why, and hated that weakness in her heart. She'd been so in love with Ron that she didn't think much of her own plans. She couldn't make that mistake again.

No, whatever she decided, it had to be right for both her and Mel. During the school year it would hardly matter, but during the summer, Mel would be home to stay. Home, she'd have to find a house too, one that they could both call home. She should take Mel with her, get her approval on the house too. When was she supposed to find the time?

It had crossed her mind to stay, to find a house for summertime but stay here at hogwarts, over a hundred times in the last couple of weeks. But by now, the person who was permanently filling in the position had already been contacted. They'd have started to make plans, change their life to fit the job. It was too late, even if she was sure that was what she wanted to do.

"This really sucks." She said to herself with a deep sigh. It really, really sucked.

"What sucks?" A voice had her jumping. She cursed herself for reverting back to a very old habit, talking to herself.

With a bland stare, she turned around to face Draco. "I thought it was clear that when I said I'll see you at dinner, I meant I don't want to see you _until_ dinner."

He shrugged of her slightly icy tone with an easy smile. "I figured you were trying to avoid coming down to my class room."

"Oh." He would assume that, she realized, because that was the kind of man he was. Kind, sweet, although occasionally dense. He would be considerate enough that he'd come to her instead of making her go down there. Where she could visualized almost perfectly what had happened in there. "I just needed to get some time to myself." Satisfied with that, Draco nodded and started back out the portrait. "You don't have to leave." She told him. "I'm not accomplishing what I'd hoped anyway."

"Which brings us back to my question." He walked over to take her face win his hands."What sucks?"

"I used to know what to do. Whatever it was that I needed to do, I knew what would happen before I did it." She was worried about him too, she added to the list she'd made in her head of things to think about. Because her decision effected him in the long run as well. Would they still be lovers if she left? No, when she left, she corrected herself, not if. There was no real place for her hear. And when it came to Draco, she could admit again that she really just didn't know. "I can't make up my mind, Draco, I just don't know anymore."

"Your talking about leaving." It hit him low in the gut, like a sucker punch. He was losing her already, before he even truly had her.

She continued to look at him for a minute, saw everything she felt, every fear reflected in those eyes, before she wound her arms around his neck. She let a sigh escape as his arms wrapped around her tightly. "I'm scared too." She said finally, "I don't want to lose what we have."

His arms tightened farther, he never wanted to let go, not if it meant watching her walk away from him. Would she, he wondered, if it was the best thing for Mel? She would, he could answer that without much thought, because Mel had to come first. He'd do the same. And that was why he hoped it never came to that. He had a dream for them, one he hoped would end in happily ever after. And he needed her with him more than he'd ever be able to tell her. "I love you, Hermione."

His voice was so quiet, she wasn't sure if she'd heard him clearly. Her heart was thudding in her chest as she pulled back to look at him, Draco reluctantly loosened his grip. "Wait, what did you say?" She had to know.

"I love you." He repeated his words with a frown. Was she going to laugh? Tell him to get real? Because about this he was 100% real. He loved her, it hadn't taken him long to figure that out. And he wanted to know what she was thinking, badly.

"Oh." She pressed her hand to her mouth, her eyes welled as she she stepped away from him. A wave of emotions crashed over her, some good, some bad. She'd waited to hear it, to be sure, and it brought her so much warmth. But it would make it harder to leave, it would hurt more if they ended up pulling away from each other, because she knew now.

"I've never told you, have I." He never realized before that while he may have thought it every time she walked into the room. It may have been in the front of his mind as they made love, it may have been right there on the tip of his tough as she sighed his name, breathless from what they brought each other, but he'd never told her. And looking at her now, he was sure that it made a world of difference. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm not." She tried to wipe at her eyes, to make the moisture go away. It was stupid to cry over something so simple, to get all mushy now. Happiness was for smiles and laughter, not tears. But she couldn't make it stop.

He wanted to go to her, to hold her against him and make all her tears vanish. But he stood where he was, worried that he'd just make it a whole lot worse. "I'm sorry." He spoke cautiously, with an edge of pleading in his voice. The look she gave him almost made him want to take it back, but the rest of the words spilled out of his mouth before he could stop himself. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"Upset me?" And her lovely moment was gone with his ignorance. Upset? What was he thinking? "Why the hell would telling me you love me upset me?"

He didn't have an answer, in fact, he wasn't sure why he'd said it anyway. It didn't make any sense to him either. So much for always saying the right thing. He ran his fingers through his hair in a pointless gesture of weariness. "Your crying."

"True enough." She let that one through, didn't refuse it this time, as there was no way to deny it as long as her cheeks were wet from spilled tears. "And I'm sure that people cry for a lot of reasons." She'd been talking with her hands, she noted dully, and it probably looked like hysterics to anyone who hadn't actually seen her hysterical. She let them fall to her side and willed them to stay there as she just looked at him. "Can't they just be happy tears, Draco? It makes a huge difference. Happy tears, that's all they are."

He crossed to her now, took her in his arms and kissed her gently. Her heart did a slow roll in her chest, he did love her. That fact alone undid her. For reasons she couldn't explain, she'd always feared he never would, that she would be alone in the feeling. But here he was, and he loved her.

"I love you." She told him when they parted, neither particularly wanting to let go. "I didn't exactly rush to tell you either."

"I knew." He tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear. "I've known since we said goodbye at the Burrow. You were so angry with me, but you still came down. You don't kiss somebody goodbye at four in the morning if your mad at them unless you love them." He smiled, kissed her forehead. "It's a lot nicer hearing it though."

"So now what do we do?" He knew she wasn't talking literally.

"Now," He let go of her except for her hand, "We go down to dinner and we worry about it later. After all, there's a lot of time between now and then."

"Only a month." She shook her head as they started out the portrait, and that month would just fly by if she didn't hold onto every single moment.

Mel sat at dinner, laughing with the girl next to her. She didn't want to be here, she thought to herself, listening to jokes about people she'd come to admire. She'd much rather be at any other table, because at least over there she might find a friend or two. But here, no, here there was nothing but fakes. Those who thought they had to behave a certain way, they had an attitude for everything. And for once, she couldn't imagine being in slytherin for another four years. She was stuck.

David caught her eye from where he sat two tables down, waved slightly. She just smiled and gave him a nod. If she waved, there'd be questions, and then there'd be smears. And with that sad thought, she dove into a conversation with the boy next to, her best friend, well, one of them.

"You ask anybody to the dance yet?" She inquired with a poke, laughing when he rolled his eyes. It would have to be someone older, she smirked, because they weren't old enough. Or at least, that was her excuse for not sneaking in.

"Yeah, her." He pointed down the table to a girl with hair the color of ink and eyes the color of molasses. "But she's already got a date."

Sympathetic, she laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Tim. Really, I am, that's bad luck all around."

"You going?" His eyebrow raised, his gaze darting toward the ravenclaw table. He doubted his friend knew what she was doing, she was going to end up hurt.

"I'm not, thank you very much." She rested her face on her hand, smiled, "And I'm not going to pretend I want to either."

"Not even a little?" He didn't believe her, for a week all he'd heard about was the stupid valentine's day ball. Of course, that was before, now, he didn't know but there was something she wasn't telling him.

"I wouldn't even know what to wear." She shook her head before she gave him a smile. "So what we'll do is have our own little party in the common room, just those of us who are low enough to not merit an invitation."

"It'll be twice the fun," He agreed. "And twice as comfortable as we will not be required to wear stuffy dress robes."

She just chuckled and focused on finishing her dinner as she listened to her friend ramble. She wanted to go, that she'd lied about, but as it wasn't going to happen, she wasn't going to dwell on it.


	3. Let me be there for you

He'd received a letter. And he couldn't tell her. Because if he told anybody, it'd mean admitting the one thing he was ashamed of. It'd mean admitting that he hadn't yet faced his family after so long. It'd been a simple letter, asking, no, ordering him to have a drink with his father that the three broomsticks. And just like he had when he was young, he obeyed.

His father was waiting there when he walked in, already sipping away at the butter beer that sat before him. "Butter beer or fire whiskey?" He smiled at his son. Draco had an image of that walking stick striking him, over and over. And he knew he'd always remember that, which had always been one reason he'd taken care of Mel. Because no one deserved such treatment from their parents.

"Hot chocolate." He told the bar tender. Lucius scowled at him. "What do you want?"

"Come on now, Draco." Lucius shook his head slowly. "Is that any way to treat your father? Really."

"Your no relation to me." Draco stated abruptly, taking the drink the man at the counter gave him. "I wouldn't do that." He told him when he raised his hand to strike Draco. "Public place, and I'm an adult now, I'll hit back."

"You and your little friend are shoving your noses in where they don't belong." Lucius warned him with a steel eye. "Unless she wants hurt, I'd suggest you both back off."

"You won't come near her." Draco's teeth clenched. "You won't touch her, and you won't speak to her."

"So, it's true then." Lucius nodded, having gotten the reaction he wanted. "The mud blood and you, I'm disappointed, Draco."

"Get used to it." Draco shoved off of his stool, left his drink practically untouched. "I'm going to marry her, father. She's going to be a part of the Malfoy family, and won't that look so nice on the pure blood family tree."

"You wouldn't dare." Lucius spat.

"But I would." Draco just shook his head for a moment. "That's what you've never understood. You could never completely control me. And now, I'm done, you won't be able to manipulate me anymore."

"You'll be sorry." Lucius stood too, in an effort to tower over him. But those days were over now, Draco was taller than him.

"No, I won't." Draco turned and strode back into the cold winter street. He would tell Hermione about this he decided, because he knew this wasn't really over. And his father knew a little too much, which meant that Bellatrix had gotten to him.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me?" Her temper was flaring, she couldn't believe him. How could he tell her he loved her, but he couldn't trust her enough to share his problems.

"I _am_ telling you." He didn't understand her at all, he got that now, he doubted he ever would. Personally, he didn't know why she was getting so upset.

"Don't play cute with me." She rolled her eyes and walked into her bedroom. He'd come straight to her, found her in the middle of a book. But now, for the first time since that first night, she shut the bedroom door and he stood in the living room mystified.

He picked up the book she left on the couch, turned it over in his hand. It was a book of poems. And the one she had marked caught his attention.

_Summer and Winter_

_Winter air brushing against my skin _

_Reminding me of a lovers touch_

_The fresh snow, so calm on the surface_

_But underneath, life breathes deep_

_It's a long journey, the path I'm on_

_Many memories on the road._

_But I will find him someday_

_He had not left my heart forever_

_And when summer comes, the sun high_

_When the air is sweet and perfumed _

_He'll be here again._

_Because winter is a time when all fails_

_A time when the one you need is far_

_And the time it takes to say good bye_

_Is the longest moment of your life_

_But summer brings fresh hellos _

_When those who belong will be_

_When trust burns anew. _

_You have all the time in the world_

_So I will search for summer_

_Because distance keeps no one apart_

_And I left all my summers with him_

_When I find him, all will be right._

Well, he thought to himself, how the hell did someone write something both depressing and hopeful? And that didn't help him figure out what what on her mind. He went to the bedroom door, knocked lightly. "Go away, Draco." She called from where ever she was in there. And he just knocked again. This time she didn't answer.

"Come on, Hermione." He rested his forehead against the door for a moment, and for a second he knew that she was right there, sitting against the door. "If your going to be mad, you could at least tell me what I did wrong."

There was silence for a few seconds before she opened the door and he could look at her. She wasn't crying, he breathed easy, that was a relief. Then again, he'd only ever really seen her cry once. "You go see your father, one who you have made it very clear that you don't get along with, and you only choose to tell me when it might concern my safety."

"Well, when you put it that way," He rubbed the back of his neck, "It does sound pretty bad."

"Pretty bad?" Her eyebrow raised for a second. "When I broke up with Ron, you told me that you were there if I needed you. But you won't let me be there for you, Draco. Yeah, that's pretty bad." And she walked past him, walked all the way out through the portrait.

She didn't stop walking until she was outside. And then, it wasn't like she could turn back now, she headed down to Hagrid's. It'd been a while since they really had a chance to catch up anyway. She reached up to knock on the large door, didn't even have her hand halfway there.

"Ms. Granger." Someone spoke her name so clearly, she had to turn and see that it really was him.

"Well, hello." She gulped back every bad thing she had to say. Lucius just stood there waiting. "How are you this evening, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I'd be better," He brushed at the dirt on his robes, "If you would stay far away from my son."

She laughed. "Do you think you can intimidate me?"

"You'll do it, or you'll face the consequences." He stepped closer to her, she reached up to knock on the door hurriedly.

"I'm sorry to be rude, Mr. Malfoy." She spoke fast. "But I'm afraid there is urgent business I need to discuss with Professor Hagrid."

"Professor Hagrid?" Lucius shook his head. "The day the headmaster appointed _him_ as the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, _that_ was the day Hogwarts went downhill. If I was..."

" 'Mione, is that you?" Hagrid called from a few feet away as Fang raced up to her. She took a deep breath as Lucius laughed. He hadn't even been home.

"Yes, Hagrid." She reached down to pet the slobbering dog. "I was just telling Mr. Malfoy here that we're not interested in hiring him for any kind of landscaping job." The look on his face said it all, but she kept going. "Turns out, he's had a fascination with gardening for a couple of years now, ever since it was the only job he could get."

"Well," Hagrid eyed Mr. Malfoy unfavorably. "Come on in, 'Mione, we'll get ya something warm to drink." He looked at her for a minute. "You should know better than to walk around with out a coat on in the middle of January."

"I forgot." She smiled as she stepped inside, the door slamming shut, leaving Mr. Malfoy on the outside. Hagrid gave her a big steaming cup of tea, she hadn't realized how cold she was until now.

"'ere." He took off his extremely large coat and laid it over her shoulders. "Why don't you tell me why you're doing out here without a coat in the first place."

"I swear, I didn't even notice." She sat in one of the chairs, looked up at Hagrid. "I wasn't thinking about much of anything."

"I see." He'd ask about that in a minute. "I'm gonna make one thing clear right now, your not leavin' this house until mornin'. Any problem with 'at?" She just shook her head, because she knew that Mr. Malfoy, if he was desperate enough, would wait for her to leave. "The chair should be plenty big enough."

"Thank you, Hagrid." She looked down at the chair for a minute. Big enough was an understatement. She could easily curl up in this thing comfortably.


	4. Just her and Fang

She was curled up in his large coat, asleep and warm in the chair. He just watched her for a moment, they had all grown up so fast. He remembered how they used to be, so young and innocent, taking on all the evils of the world. Now they had seen more evil than anyone should ever have to, they'd accepted all the shades of gray, and that there are people who do truly evil things with pure hearts, for what ever reason.

It was still a little bit of a shock to think of it. The little boy who couldn't believe he was special, because everyone had always told him otherwise, was now the head of the department of Aurors. He was married now to his wife of two and a half years, to the woman that had become everything to him when they were still so young. Ginny, he was still trying to wrap his head around that one, spit fire as they come and stubborn as her mother, she was pregnant now, would be bringing new life into this world within a matter of months. And Ron, well, he wasn't sure what was up with Ron. But there were two who had come the furthest, had overcome more change than most.

Draco, born into a pure blood household, for all the good it did him, where Hagrid suspected he had been abused when he should have been cherished. To shake off his father's chains, to reverse everything that he'd been taught, everything that he had done. He'd always have that mark on his arm. It would always define him to most of the world as one of the scum of the earth, but he had been so young, so misguided, and he had learned quickly that he didn't have it in him to kill. He tried so hard. Even as a child he'd fought it, Hagrid could see the ever present turmoil. He'd reached out and helped that little girl hadn't he, he'd have been nurturing her since he was not even old enough to attend school. Showing her the love that he'd been denied.

And her, he smiled at the sleeping figure, she had started out with all the answers. But by the end life has a funny way with taking your answers and turning every single one of them into a question until that's all your left with. She'd stopped letting people walk all over her, she'd become who she was supposed to be at the moment. But her changes were far from over. She was taking on a half grown kid, and although she was a natural parent, it would be a hard adjustment. She needed answers soon, he knew, as all people did, and he hoped she found the ones she needed.

And some people were always going to cause trouble. Bellatrix, He knew, and Lucius as another example. He didn't know what he wanted with Hermione, but he was smart enough to know it wasn't about any job. He intended to ask Draco about that, in fact, he'd go do that now. But he couldn't leave her alone, then again, she wasn't truly alone. He looked around for Fang, couldn't see him in his large cramped rooms, but that wasn't unusual. So he let out a quiet whistle, one he was sure wouldn't wake Hermione.

There was a low whimper and the coat that covered Hermione began to shift. A minute later his big black head poked out, his eye tired but willing to please. Hagrid reached down and scratched the dog's ear, chuckling at him. "Your just a big softy, aren't ya boy."

In response the dog lay his head back down, readjusting himself so that he was right up against Hermione. And he'd stay there, Hagrid knew, because he loved the closeness. So he could leave with that, trusting that Fang would jump to her protection in a matter of seconds if there was need. Because Fang had always loved Hermione.

* * *

Hagrid stood right on the inside of the castle, realizing now that he had no idea where Draco would be. He'd never had need to visit any of the other teachers in their quarters. Would he even be there? How was he supposed to knock on a portrait?

And it didn't seem to be a problem as Draco appeared out of almost no where, wearing one cloak with another bundled in his arms. "Hagrid?" He blinked at the sight of the half-giant, almost wishing he could ignore him and continue his pursuit. "What are you doing here so late?"

"Looking for you." Hagrid shifted uncomfortably, really not wanting to have this conversation.

"Well, I was actually looking for Hermione. She got upset and walked out a few hours ago, I was going to let her be, but I just realized she forgot her cloak."

"She's asleep." Hagrid nodded, watching surprise flicker over Draco's features. "She's not going to be coming back until there's sunlight."

"Hagrid..." Draco started to say something nasty, but he stopped himself before he could hurt his friend. Hagrid had done nothing but try to protect Hermione, he assumed from him. And that was no reason to get angry, after all, Hagrid had known her longer, since her first year.

"What I want to know is," Hagrid continued as if Draco hadn't planned to say anything, "What does your father want with Hermione?"

"Why would my father want something with her?" He stepped closer to Hagrid, his hands now gripping her cloak with enough strength to turn his knuckles bone white.

Hagrid filled him in on what he knew, which wasn't a lot, ending with how shook up she seemed when she came in, even though she did her best not to show it. Draco's entire face had paled now. He could have killed her there when he saw that she wouldn't give in, if Hagrid hadn't shown up, he could have killed her and just walked away. His problem would have been solved.

He left with Hagrid, explaining on the way about the conversation he had had with father earlier that evening. And he could tell that Hagrid wasn't happy about it, not much he could do about that. By the time they reached Hagrid's hut, he'd slipped into silence, not wanting to earn a lecture from the half giant.

He wasn't sure why he'd followed Hagrid out, except that he wasn't going to sleep at all tonight anyway. He hadn't been able to stop reeling after she left, replaying everything she'd said to him. And most of it still didn't make any sense. So her cloak had been an excuse, and even then, he debated on whether to bring a cloak or a coat. His decision was made easy when he found that none of her actual jackets were warm enough to stand up to the January chill. Either way, he'd needed to see her, now especially. Because his father had come so close.

He stepped into the warm hut, saw her almost immediately. Fang, who had stayed awake to make sure that someone would come back, settled his head down and just watched Draco. There was something in the dog's eyes, as if he knew that Draco had caused her some kind of pain. And Draco didn't pay one bit of attention to the dog.

He never noticed how peaceful she looked when she was asleep, as if she was some kind of angel that should never be disturbed. Almost silently he sat in a chair across from her, waited. He wouldn't wake her, not yet. That was until she cracked open an eye, she'd been awake, dying to go back to sleep, but she couldn't with him watching her. Her gaze bore right through him. "What are you doing here?"

He got up again, came to kneel in front of the very large chair. "Hagrid came and got me."

"Terrific." She rolled her eyes, pushed at the dog until she was certain there was no way he was going to move for a while. "Just damn terrific."

"You didn't want him to tell me?" Draco looked at her, the woman who had gotten mad because he hadn't wanted to share _his_ troubles. And she didn't want him to know.

"Not at, what is it, around two o'clock in the freaking morning." She dragged her fingers through her hair, secretly wishing she'd thought more clearly before she'd walked out. Because if she had, she'd have gone almost anywhere else. Who knows, maybe she'd have gone to the shrieking shack, now that the tunnel under the willow had been reopened. They had Fenrir Greyback to blame for that, with five students having been bitten, and they wouldn't turn them away. But Draco wouldn't have come and she'd have been able to think without the distraction of having their disagreement, for how could it be an "argument" if he didn't argue with her, tossed back in her face.

"Your still mad." He couldn't really be angry with her, something about her seemed to cut that emotion off at the knees, but he could be frustrated. And he could be annoyed.

"Very good, Dr. Watson." She bit, stopped for a second when he was confused. Her tone lightened just a little and it was the first time she really realized just how different their two worlds were. "Sorry, it's a muggle thing. Dr. Watson was a companion to a fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes."

"I see." He didn't, not really, but it would take too long to explain it all so she dropped it. "Are you okay?"

He was done dancing around the disagreement, she decided, and he meant something else entirely. He meant, did his father hurt her? "Yes, I'm fine. It just took me by surprise, that's all."

"We wouldn't be having this issue at all if you had just stayed inside the castle." He rose, suddenly impatient with the two of them. Because everything had been fine, and he couldn't figure out when she had started to distance herself so completely from him. But it felt more than ever like he was losing her fast.

"You want me to apologize?" She asked him, reaching down to stroke the dog when he butted his head against her head. In other words, _if your going to keep me awake with your bickering, least you could do is give me a good scratch behind the ear._ "Fine. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I got hurt because you don't want to trust me."

"Hermione, that's..." He was going to tell her not to be stupid, that what she was saying was absurd. But another thought struck him hard in the chest, he'd go for Mel next. Not because he cares one way or another about what happened to her, she'd only ever been a burden to him, because she was a girl. But he'd go for her because he knew_ they_ cared about her, that Hermione would do almost anything to see her safe.

Hermione knew the look in his eye, knew exactly what he was thinking. "She'll be safe for now, he won't try for her. She's surrounded by huge amounts of people almost every second of the day, he knows that." She reached out to touch his arm, her concern for Mel overriding her anger. "She'll be fine. And we can work on going back to our lives. After all, we have a ball to finesse."

He smiled at her and her walls were back up. She just curled up again against Fang and went back to sleep. She wasn't ready to forgive him yet, and he still wasn't quite sure why she was angry in the first place.


	5. Trouble with Boys

She couldn't look at Mel and pretend that she shouldn't know. She deserved to know when a crazy relative came around causing trouble. But hadn't she been through enough for a few years? No, she'd been upset with Draco for keeping things from her, she wasn't about to do the same with Mel. Mel needed to know, but first she had business to attend to. She could tell her tonight, after dinner.

He was waiting for her to come out of the bedroom. It'd been two days since she'd last looked him in the eyes, two days since he'd been able to hold her, and he missed her. He _knew_ he should have told her before he'd went to see his father. But he was only human after all, she should expect him to make mistakes, shouldn't she? To forgive and move on. Certainly he didn't think _she_ was perfect. He didn't hold those faults against her.

She wasn't holding things against him, he reminded himself, not really. She just needed time to cool down, and she had had time now. It was time for them to talk.

And as she came out, she stared at him as if he was something unnatural. It was then that he remembered that she hadn't known he was here yet, he'd let himself in. " I have to speak with McGonagall." She started for the door but he simply rose from his spot on the couch and waited for her to turn. Because, being her, curiosity would always get the best of her.

When she did turn, there were so many emotions in her eyes. Rather than sorting through them all, he latched on to one, regret. She looked away after a moment, to keep herself from blurting out everything she'd thought over the last couple of days. Because that wouldn't settle anything. "What do you want, Draco?"

"You, Hermione, all I want is you." His response was so real, so simple. It was impossible to find reason to deny him when he was going to stand there looking like a broken man. She didn't know why she'd even bothered to really try.

She just blinked. "You have me. You've had me, and you always will." She wanted to hold him, to reassure him that she wasn't like his father. To her, Draco wasn't just an obligation that he could abuse and twist to his will, and she didn't plan on taking advantage of his loyalty either. He was everything she needed and everything she feared. She wouldn't throw that away.

"You don't look at me." Draco held both of his hands out, open, before her. Because this was the only thing he had that felt real and it was as if she'd ripped that away without thought or reason. "You don't even talk to me if you don't have to. How do I have you if you pull away from me?"

"I may have... overreacted slightly. I'll admit that." She stayed where she was. Because, although she wanted to reassure, they also had to say all that there was to be said. And he had to know that she wouldn't settle for being the last to know, not with him. "But, Draco, I can't let you make double standards. You can't expect me to tell you when something bothers me if you won't do the same with me."

He nodded, he could understand what she was trying to say now that she wasn't shut behind a door or yelling at him. Now he could try to make her understand too. "I get that, Hermione, I really do. But there's a part of me that will always want to run when I have to deal with my family. And I can't do that because it means that they've won. So I guess I did the next best thing, I tried to shield both you and Mel from it."

Hermione fisted her hands at her hips, remained firmly where she was. "There, now was that so hard to just say?"

He could hear the change in her voice, felt safe enough to approach her and reach out to run his fingers through her long wavy hair carefully. When she didn't pull away or glare at him, he knew she had forgiven him, completely. "No, I guess it wasn't." And he rested a hand on her hip, because it felt so good just to be able to touch her again. He kissed her tenderly, pulled away to study her content and admittedly sexy smile. "That's it? Easy as that? No groveling, no tears cried to make me feel small and disgusting?"

"Tears? I don't work that way. As for being easy, it wont always be." She wound her arms around his neck, laced her fingers through his blonde hair. "Make the same mistake twice, I'm not so forgiving the second time around."

"Am I supposed to take that as a threat?" He tucked his tongue in his cheek, remembering that she had told him only a week ago that she didn't bother with threats. If she was going to hurt someone, she didn't care to discuss it with them first. "Because that sounded very threat like."

"If you had any brains at all," Her grip on the back of his neck tightened . "You'd kiss me and shut up."

"I could do that." He assented as their lips met again, and Hermione chuckled before losing herself in him.

Mel stood idly. She was supposed to meet her friends at the library to work on a rather large essay due at the end of the week, but she didn't want to even leave the spot she was standing in, in a deserted hallway. The hallway around the corner wasn't deserted, she could still hear them, but she was trying so hard not to listen. Absently she wondered how long it would take for one of her friends to come looking for her.

She wanted nothing more to shrivel up and disappear, nothing could be this humiliating. She'd ignored the snickers of the other Slytherin girls as they past her in the hallway, because lately she was the butt of everyone's jokes. But the moment she'd went to turn the corner, she understood why they were laughing. Because out of everything her classmates had done in retaliation for her friendship with Trevor, this had to be the lowest.

Darcy was a seventh year and had a reputation for being.... easy. She had already dated about half of her own year, and most of the sixth years. She was also tricky, she knew how to twist men around her pinky until they were bent completely to her will. And she hated Mel, because out of the entire house, she was the only one who didn't look up to her as an idol.

But she was there, working her magic on _him._ And Mel knew too well, she'd use him and throw him away. David would never know what hit him, and he'd be crushed under the weight of the jokes that would be made at his expense.

Even worse, standing there and listening to the way he stammered, knowing exactly what she was doing to him. She couldn't help but be jealous. She hadn't realized until last night that she thought of David as slightly more than friends, after all, it wasn't like they ever got much of a chance to talk. But she hadn't realized until she was lying awake thinking about him that she harbored a small crush. And it hurt, more than she cared to admit, that he was going for the girl every other guy went for.

No guy had ever showed interest in her, and she hadn't really payed attention, because they were all pigs. But she'd thought he was different, that he was the exception to the rule. Here was Darcy, proving that he was just like them, none of them actually thought with their brain, not really.

And as she stood there, she knew she was going to be caught. Because they had stopped talking and it would be too obvious if she started walking now. Was it possible that he could just not see her? That he could walk past her and she could somehow find a way to be invisible? She didn't want to talk to him, ever.

She stood as close to the wall as possible, on the edge of the corner in hopes that he wouldn't see her. No one came for a couple minutes as she stood there, and she just naturally assumed that he had gone another direction. Thank God. So she shoved off the wall and turned the corner, crashing into him.

He caught her before she could fall backward, stared at her for a minute. There was something wrong here, but he didn't know what it could be. And as she yanked away from him, he missed having her so close to him. "Oh, hey, Mel."

She looked away quickly, flashes of him and Darcy ran through her mind. She didn't understand why it hurt so bad, it shouldn't. Everyone went for Darcy, she never should have expected he wouldn't. "David." She nodded simply before walking around him and continuing on her way to the library.

David went after her, worry eating at him over her empty expression, stopped when he saw one of the teachers coming toward them because last thing they needed was to get in trouble for anything. Another student called for Mel, it was one of the two boys she spent all her time with. He took one look at her and opened his arms to her. She hugged him, burying her head against him as she shook with whatever emotion ran through her.

There was a spur of something in his heart as he watched her with him. He was so gentle with her, he seemed to know exactly what she needed and she turned to him openly. Was this jealousy he felt? When had he started seeing her like that, as more than the friend he could never really hang around? Sure, she was gorgeous, something that escaped her notice, and she was charming in almost every way. But he shouldn't be jealous of her friend, should he?

Either way, he needed to know that she was alright. And as he stepped out from where he stood, he knew that if looks could kill he'd be ashes right now. Mel hadn't lifted her head, she didn't yet notice that he was there. But her friend had seen him and he was pissed.

He whispered something to Mel and she straightened. She looked at him for only a second, but it was long enough for him to see the streaks that ran down her her cheeks and the way her eyes shined under the dim lights. There was a moment when her eyes met his that she looked like she might stab a knife into his heart, but it was gone as her friend kept his arm around her and led her away.

Mel let him lead her all the way to the other side of the castle before she realized that they weren't going to the library. "Where are you taking me?"

"Your in no shape to study at the moment." He simply told her, taking one of her hands in his for a moment. She needed the contact, to know that someone did care, and he knew where to take where she would get a huge dose of that. He took her to stand outside of Professor Granger's door. There was no one better for her to talk to than someone who had probably been there once. Idly he looked around for a way to knock, but being a portrait, it didn't seem likely.

"Crookshanks." Mel mumbled and the portrait swung open. This was new, he ventured, stepping inside a teacher's apartment. But he wasn't going to let go of Mel until he knew there was someone there to watch over her.

They were sitting at a table that she had brought from home, laughing and looking over some rather large book. Draco noticed them first, rose to eye the boy suspiciously. Hermione just took one look at Mel and stood also. "Hello, Tim." She'd spoken to him a few times, he was a decent boy. "You two were supposed to be studying, weren't you?"

"Yeah," He shifted nervously under Draco's gaze. It was only natural, he suspected, for Draco to think it was him who had hurt Mel, didn't make it any less scary. "In fact, I should probably get back and tell them you won't be making it."

He gave Mel a final hug, whispered when he thought no one could hear. "Meet me at the owlery, midnight." She nodded silently as he left them.

Draco was looking at Hermione curiously now. Because the atmosphere had changed the moment Tim and Mel had walked in. "I guess I'll be getting these final details settled with McGonagall before she calls it a night." And he left them alone.

Hermione just leaned against the table and looked at Mel with understanding eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?"


	6. The tickling charm

She was nursing the cup of hot chocolate Hermione had conjured for her, staring at it as if it was her only life line, the only thing that made any sense. They were both curled up on opposite corners of the couch, Hermione hadn't said anything more yet, just handed her the cup and sat down. Finally Mel spoke, never taking her eyes off the warm brown liquid. "Why do all guys want girls like Darcy?"

Hermione let out the breath she had realized she'd been holding. She'd been worried that Mel wouldn't open up, that she'd keep everything bottled inside. She remembered what that felt like, unpleasant and choking until you couldn't take it anymore. "Who's Darcy?"

"She's a seventh year in my house." She looked at Hermione apologetically. "She's not exactly taking Defense against the dark arts this term."

Hermione nodded slowly, trying to put a face to the name, but there was nothing. "I see. Why don't you tell me about her?"

Mel bit her lip, swallowed the first thoughts that popped into in her head and tried to look at her objectively. "Well, she's popular, fits right in with all the other Slytherin girls. She's every guys dream, and she has no problem dating outside both her house and her year. A body that earns bragging rights, the ability to twist men around her finger with nothing more than a whisper." Mel hung her head for a moment, as it hit her square in the chest. "She's everything I'm not."

Hermione adjusted so that she was closer to Mel now, looked at her for a moment. So this was what was eating at her, yes, she knew exactly how that felt. It seemed like only yesterday her heart broke over the way Ron had drooled over Fleur. She knew what it was like to question yourself and wonder if you were good enough for anyone. "Mel, there's nothing wrong with who you are. Anybody will tell you that."

Mel finally looked up, she had tried so hard not to cry again, but she was failing. "Then why can't he like me? Why is it that he takes one look at her and he can't keep his thoughts straight?"

David. Hermione thought to herself. This wasn't about Darcy or how she looked, it was about David. " Is it possible that you aren't giving him enough credit?"

She shook her head. "You didn't hear him, he would have agreed to jumping out of one of the towers if she had asked him."

"Mel, are you upset because he chose her over you, or because she didn't give him much of a choice?" There was a difference, whether Mel saw it or not, there was always a difference.

She thought about it. It was true, she'd been mad at Darcy first, did she just transfer her anger to him? No, not all of it. No, she was mad at both of them, but that didn't answer Hermione's question. She didn't have an answer. "I don't know." She said finally, "I don't know."

Hermione had expected as much, emotions didn't ever give you much room to think. "You don't have to forgive him, Mel, I'm not going to tell you to do that. But don't put all the blame onto him."

Hermione was right and she knew it. "I won't forgive him, but your right, I knew it was a setup from the beginning." Hermione looked at her with confused eyes. "David's a muggle born, she wouldn't go for a man like him unless she had other reasons. She's a lot like my mother in that aspect."

And now Hermione seemed annoyed more than anything else. "And you let her get to you rather than kicking her ass like you should have."

"Hey." Mel yelped as the cup she held dissolved into nothing and she was being yanked to her feet. A fear ran through her head that Hermione might hurt her for being weak, she looked like she was ready for some kind of war. And she wanted to run, but Hermione's grip was iron.

Hermione saw the look in her eyes, relaxed her grip but still pulled her with her. "I'm not going to hit you, Mel," They stepped into her bedroom and Mel got her first good look at it. The bed was huge with a thick maroon comforter and fluffy gold pillows. There was a tall wardrobe, one that she wondered what treasures it held inside. But where Hermione dumped Mel was at the vanity. There was an oval mirror, framed in gold, and before her were an assortment of feminine weapons invented to make the male species weep. "Now," Hermione pulled out her wand, "Let's get started."

"What?" Mel's eyes widened as she stared at the wand. "Get started with what?" Hermione didn't say anything, just smiled at her. Then it hit her, she remembered something from not so long ago, and she couldn't believe it.

_They'd been "at each other's throats" again, which usually involved nothing more than tickling and empty threats. Both of them were out of breath and Mel collapsed on the floor while Hermione, more dignified in her actions, took the couch. Idly, she reached down and ran her fingers through Mel's dramatically long hair. "One day," She spoke finally when she found her voice, "I'm going to cut your hair."_

_"Why would you do that?" Mel laughed once, smiled up at Draco as he walked into the room. He took one look at the two of them and rolled his eyes. _

_"Because you'd look good with shorter hair." She analyzed Mel for a second, knew exactly what the girl could pull off. And it was better than having miles of hair to brush out every day._

"No," Mel shook her head furiously, "Hermione, don't."

"Don't be a baby." Hermione laughed, and she went to work.

It wasn't until midnight that she was alone. She sat up in the owlery, remembering all the times that her and her friends would sneak up here. And yet again, she waited for her friend. She always got here first. She heard the footsteps, the guffawing that came from the boys spending two minutes together. Good, Tim had brought Bailey with him.

She rose to go to one of the many windows, smiled as she looked out at the water, the vastness of the land before her. "Mel?" Bailey snapped her out of her own little world, she turned to smile at him and watched his jaw drop.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing, her hair had always been two feet long, or around there. She cut it off before it got much longer, but that was how her hair was, long and straight. But here she was, and her hair didn't even touch her shoulders. It looked good on her, it seemed light and however it was cut, it framed the sides of her face nicely. He couldn't quite figure out what to say other than "It's about time."

She blushed, ducked her head as Tim came to stand in front of her. He caught her chin, made her look at him. "Is that Mel in there? Or have we got the wrong girl?" With a snarl, completely faked, she shoved at him.

"Shut up." She said quietly, still unused to the lack of weight. With a smile, she sat back down, gazed up at the owls above. "I really love this place." She didn't want to think about anything, however, it was basically impossible to block out all thought.

"We all do." Bailey leaned against the wall lazily, looking out to see the same thing she had seen. It was magical, the view of the water and the forests and the land coated in inches and inches of snow. "Your not alone, Mel, I know I haven't exactly been around lately."

She smiled at him, he'd been busy with some other project, that was all she'd known, but she hadn't minded. "It's okay." She reached out to take Bailey's hand in her own, he gave it a slight squeeze. "I understood."

Tim wrapped an arm around her shoulder, grinned. They'd all gotten so caught up in their own lives that they hadn't really had a chance to just be. She was like his sister, so connected to each other that they hardly ever had to vocalize their thoughts around other people. And he wanted her to be happy, but for now, she wasn't happy. Whatever that David kid had done, he'd hurt her. And they'd just have to have a word with him.

"So, I asked Victoria to the ball." Bailey spoke finally and Mel laughed. "What? She's a nice girl."

"I know." Mel squeezed the hand she held lightly. Last year Bailey and Victoria had been at each other's throats all the time. There hadn't been a single day that he hadn't complained about her. This year, well, this year they were much closer. And he could have gone anyway, as he was a year older than them, but this just gave him a reason and they couldn't convince him to skip. "She's great for you."

"Whatever, man." Tim rolled his eyes as he couldn't help but make fun of his closest friends. "And here I was hoping you were going to ask our Mel, get her off my hands for the evening. After all, the entire school already knows you have a thing."

Bailey and Mel just shared a smirk before looking at him. And he knew, he knew he was in for it. Bailey moved away to block the door as she drew her wand out of her jacket pocket. He backed up quickly, releasing Mel from his grip as he just stared at her. "Wait, no, don't."

"It's too late, Timothy." She smiled at him so honest and innocently that he forgot for a second that she was dangerous.

And for the time being, they could just be. Tomorrow, when the sun rose, they could worry about the troubles and the people that would hurt them. But for tonight, it was just them in the owlery and that was enough for her. And as she raised her wand, she looked him square in the eyes. "Rictusempra." He fell onto the ground in a fit of giggles as the tickling charm worked it's way through his system.


	7. cake

He was waiting for her when she walked out of her last class and that was just annoying. She didn't want to talk to him, not today, of all days, she didn't want to see him today. It'd been great day so far, her friends had surprised her and she'd been able to spend time with just James. And now, her day would be ruined. But he wouldn't just go away because she wanted him to.

Her goal had been to forget him completely, he was horrible. She tried to tell herself that, but she knew it was far from the truth. And he was waiting for her, men didn't wait for girls like Mel, but he did. "Hey." He smiled as he saw her, wanting so much to ask any of a thousand questions. But he didn't, because the boys that had come out with her did not seem too pleased with him.

"Hey." She replied, sending Tim and Bailey the "bug off" look. They mumbled their goodbyes and walked off. Leaving just her and David. Maybe it would have been a good idea for them to stay, she realized as she stared after them.

His brow furrowed as he tried to place it but there was something different about her. He liked it, she seemed lighter almost. "You changed something." He'd meant it as a question, it came out as an accusation.

"Yeah." She didn't get it. One second he was smiling as if everything was perfectly fine, next he looked confused and frustrated. She never knew what to expect with him, and it both thrilled and scared her. "I got my hair cut."

"Oh," His face smoothed out and the odd tone in his voice evaporated. "Why?

But when she answered, she couldn't help but be angry, it was her only defense from letting him hurt her. Because she could just see him with Darcy, her wound in his arms. And she wanted so much to forget the pain that brought her. "It's none of your business." She snapped."

"Mel," He looked at her with the saddest eyes. Unfair, she thought with a miserable sigh, that he should be able to make her feel guilty without trying. "What did I do so wrong?"

"Nothing." She admitted after a few seconds, then tacked on a lie, because she couldn't exactly tell them the truth. "I'm just tired."

And that was all he'd get out of her. But still, he wanted to talk to her, just her and him. "Want to go for a stroll?"

She could only nod. "I guess, sure."

So they walked aimlessly, and neither of them said anything. They made their way down a hall, and that was when Mel saw her.

She was laughing, that horribly flirtatious laugh that Mel couldn't stand. Her eyes shifted away from the boy she was working over. And a slow smirk spread across her stunningly gorgeous face, and she launched herself off the wall she was leaning on. "Hello, David." She said his name as if they'd just experienced the most passionate moment of both of their lives.

Mel cleared her throat, earned a glare. "You've had your fun, Darcy, now walk away."

Darcy's smile turned cold and she came to stand directly in front of Mel. "You may want to stay out of this, Blondie."

And that was the last straw, Mel's temper snapped. And she punched her. Darcy's head snapped back as Mel just looked at her with wide eyes. David couldn't help but grin at her, she was so stunned by her own actions. He wrapped an arm around her, and leaving Darcy staring after them with a nosebleed, they walked the other way. "Where'd you learn to punch like that?" He asked when they were far enough away.

"I didn't." She just shrugged with a laugh. That was definitely what she'd needed to make her day perfect again. And now, walking with him, she could relax. And she definitely didn't want to say goodbye to him yet. "So, we're having a party in Draco's, sorry, I mean Professor Malfoy's apartment. I was wondering if you'd join me."

"What's the occasion?" He would go no matter what the occasion, to be with her.

"Fifteenth birthday." She flashed him a smile.

"But your third year." She was supposed to only be fourteen, wasn't she?

"True." She shrugged before looking at him, they'd stopped walking, just stood in the middle of the courtyard. " The year I was supposed to start school, my mom wouldn't let me go. And the year after, my cousin finally convinced her to let me come. But by that time, the year was already started so Draco came by when he could, gave me a crash course on first year lessons, and the year I would have normally started third year, I was ready for second."

"And the Head mistress just let you come in late?" He couldn't ignore that almost giddy feeling in his stomach. He'd thought he was sick, liking someone that was only fourteen, when he himself was seventeen. One year made all the difference, it truly did. And he had no idea why.

"Well, I did have to take this huge test to prove I knew enough to move on to second year. It was like finals but harder." She nudged him after a minute. "So, you coming or what?"

"Of course." He laughed, absently taking her hand in his as they walked.

And the man in the corner of the court yard couldn't help but stare in disgust as he lifted his head. Long blonde hair blew in the wind as his lip curled into a sneer.. He knew a mudblood when he saw one. Has she gotten in so deep with that woman who dare call herself Melinda's legal guardian that she had lost all the sanity her mother had bestowed upon her?

They'd take care of that in just a few days here. When everyone was so preoccupied with the valentine's day ball. That was the perfect time to get a couple of people alone, and no one would notice in the energy of the party. Not until they were long gone.

* * *

The walls echoed with laughter, there was an odd feeling of euphoria around the room. Hermione looked around the room as they all chowed down on a cake that, admittedly, Ginny had sent. Mel had refused to let them sing, she wouldn't hear of it. It was, as she put it, "The silliest tradition she'd ever heard". She'd invited Tim and Bailey, Hermione knew how that felt, to want the two closest to be with you no matter what you were doing. And they were doing some kind of odd trick at the moment, and as hilarious as it was to watch, Hermione was busy watching the other two.

Did they realize how close they sat, or the fact that their legs touched at least every ten seconds. And that one was always looking when they thought the other wasn't. Or when he said something, how, no matter what was going on, it was like he was the entire focus of her attention, and the other way around. How he had wordlessly stolen a frosting flower and so she had ended up picking them all off of her piece. And that was okay, because she wasn't going to eat them anyway.

Hermione knew, it was alright to fall in love young. Two of her best friends fell in love young, and now look where they were. With Ginny, she'd fallen in love with Harry the day he showed up to the burrow, although she had no idea at the time what she felt. And Harry, well, he had taken a few more years, but he couldn't have been even a year and a half older than Mel was now. They were happy, and still in love, so she wasn't worried about Mel being too young or David being too old for her. That was their problem. If and when it became an issue, she wasn't even sure they knew what they had for each other yet.

"Alright." She raised her voice just barely loud enough to be heard. " All you under aged delights need to get to bed before we all get in serious trouble."

And without complaint, they all started off, but Mel stopped to hug her. "Thank you, Hermione, you've made this a wonderful birthday."

"Go." Was all she said before hugging her back. "I have a feeling that one, if not all, of the boys are waiting for you outside the door."

"True." She shrugged and laughed at the look on Draco's face as he sat in the corner before hugging him and saying a quick goodbye.

After they were all gone, Draco finally got up the ambition to speak. "That boy..."

"Is a good man." She shook her head as she placed the remainder of the cake back in the cardboard box it had been shipped in. She'd put it away later, where nobody who was looking for it would find it unless they knew where it was. "He did a brave thing and kept you from having to chose between him and Mel. You can at least give him the benefit of the doubt."

"Alright." Draco stood, stretched, and let the subject drop. Because she was right, and Mel needed to learn hard lessons her own way. They couldn't just tell her and hope that she took them to heart the first time. It was the kind of thing you learned to do from experience. Geez, he couldn't believe she was already fifteen. "You didn't tell her about my father."

"Tomorrow." She went to him and simply rested her head on his shoulder, because she was beat. "Today was for her, tomorrow she can worry about the rest of life. But I couldn't spoil her happiness today, of all days."

"Good idea." He just stood there for a minute before either of them decided to move. And she finally walked away, going right into the bedroom. Almost as tired as she was, he followed her.

As the Slytherin dormitory was closer, David walked Mel to the entrance and smiled almost hesitantly. "So, were you going to the ball?"

"No." She watched his face fall before she remembered to add. "But that may be because nobody has asked me yet."

"I see." Uncomfortable and highly nervous, how the hell could he be nervous, they were fine and dandy not even two minutes ago. "Well, would you go with me?"

"It's possible." She grinned. That was as good as a yes to her, but first she had to see if Hermione had anything she could possibly wear, anything at all. "I'll have to get back to you on that."

"Did you have other plans?" He wanted her to say yes, really badly, as long as he had already put his pride on the line.

"Technically." She thought of Tim and their anti-ball here in the common room, then again, there were enough people who decided that they were going to get in on that, Tim wouldn't mind if she skipped out. "I'll get back to you on that." And she spoke the password, quickly stepping inside without saying goodbye.

He walked as if he had no purpose, like he wouldn't get in trouble if he was caught. And no one noticed him, just as he didn't notice the man that shadowed him. The man who wouldn't make his move, not yet, because he had to wait until Bellatrix could distract Draco long enough for him to kill the mud bloods that conspired to smear their blood line.


	8. Regretting it

I'm sorry it took so long to post, I've had a really busy couple of weeks and ideas weren't coming very easily. I'll try to post the next chapter faster. Please review. Thank you.

Disclaimer: I do not own....... well, everything except the ideas in my head

* * *

She'd never been so nervous. There was a whole colony of butterflies in her stomach, was it too late to back out? Yes, she knew it was as she stood, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her blond hair was up in a complex up-do, thanks to Hermione. And she wore a long dress that ended at her ankles. The rich, red fabric swirled around her legs and felt amazing. The halter top of it was modest but attractive and her waist appeared to be neither too skinny or two wide. It still shocked her that Hermione would have thought to pick up a dress while they were in London, and that it would fit so well.

Someone called to her and she turned quickly to see Ginny standing in the doorway. They'd sneaked her in through the fireplace as a surprise. Harry and Ron were going to be there, for security and for pleasure, but Harry hadn't actually told her in case she tried to tag along. His fear was that some how, floo powder would hurt the baby. But Hermione had gotten her here, and she seemed perfectly fine to Mel.

She was wearing a floor length gown in basic black, a glittering silver empress waist showed off the baby bump. Red hair rained down her shoulders like silk, pinned back with two sapphire barrettes. She literally seemed to glow with radiance. "Hermione wanted to see you, but she had to go and check on something. She's desperately trying to avoid Draco," Ginny laughed at this thought, because she knew love when she saw it and Draco planned to pursue her until she gave up. "So she'll be another minute."

Mel just rolled her eyes and laughed, it was no secret that Hermione didn't want to see him until they were both ready, or that Draco had argued the gesture useless. "They practically live together." She told Ginny after a moment, "They don't think I completely realize that, but it's not hard to miss." Her voice dropped a few levels in a conspirator's whisper. "They each keep spare clothes in each other's apartment."

"Oh." Ginny smiled wickedly, she'd figured as much but it was fun to gossip with someone who cared as much about them as she did. They were still giggling over it when Hermione ran in, slamming the door firmly behind her, her breathing hampered from running. "Hermione." Ginny shook her head, "Your going to ruin your hair."

"Don't worry about that," She straightened, touched her hair with her fingertips to make sure. "I managed a..." And her voice drifted off as she spotted Mel. She fought back the urge to hug her, to get all emotional on her. "You look so beautiful." She managed finally.

Mel's cheeks heated as she bowed her head, she didn't know what to think. She felt warm inside, but she also wanted to throw up. That may have been just nerves though. Mel took this time instead to evaluate Hermione from her ducked gaze.

She wore a stunning emerald colored gown that stopped under the knee and tall silver sandals. Her hair fell in wild curls behind her back and emerald drops hung from her ears. Quickly Mel remembered what Ginny had said. "Um, you wanted to see me?"

Hermione just fisted her hands on her hips with a smile. "Well yeah." She twirled her finger around and when Mel just stared at her like she'd lost her mind she said. "Spin. I want to see."

Mel did as she told, spinning around once and frowning at Hermione. "Are you feeling okay?" There were tears welling in Hermione's large brown eyes, tears that Mel wasn't sure were good or bad. "Hermione, please, don't cry." She didn't know what to do if Hermione started crying.

"I won't." Hermione seemed to get a hold of herself with a small smile. "I guess I'm just a little frazzled. Uh, I have a necklace you can borrow that would go great with your dress."

"Okay." Mel nodded stiffly, waited while Hermione went to get it. Then she turned to Ginny. "Is she really okay?"

"I'm sure she'll be fine." Ginny brushed it off, planning already to have a word with Draco.

Hermione came back out a few seconds later with a small silver chain. From it, dangled the most unusual rough stone. It wasn't stunning or even beautiful. But it was hypnotic, the color of golden sap. And Mel found herself drawn to the odd charm it possessed. Hermione motioned simply for her to turn again and Mel faced away from her. Expertly, Hermione clasped it and the slight weight of the stone hung around her neck. And the unspoken words hung around all three girls. The ball did not start for another twenty minutes. Now Ginny and Mel just had to wait. Hermione was needed for last minute details. "I'll see you in a bit." She wrapped her arms around Mel for a second. "Draco's going to have a heart attack when he sees you."

"Not if you send him into a coma first." Ginny teased her friend and Hermione made a face at her.

"Do you think..." Mel was embarrassed to ask, but she had to know what they really thought. "You don't think David will regret asking me, do you?" She didn't know if she wanted the answer, but Darcy was going to be there and she wasn't completely sure he wouldn't ditch her the moment he sees Darcy. After all, the slut was awfully good at manipulating people.

Hermione sobered up. She knew the insecurity all too well, wondering why a boy would ask her, instead of someone she saw as better. And placing a hand on Mel's shoulder, she turned the girl to look at her. "Believe it or not, I was in your shoes once. A very famous, not to mention ruggedly attractive, guy asked me to my first ball, and I couldn't believe that out of every girl there, he would ask me. A book worm who didn't have a lot of friends and was a couple of years younger than him. I can only tell you one thing," Hermione tucked a loose curl back into the up-do. "David asked you for a reason, out of everyone he could have chosen, he chose you. And if it turns out he's disappointed, then he's not worth your effort anyway."

Mel nodded, with a small frown. "Did the guy regret it?"

"I don't know." Hermione shook her head after a moment, she hadn't wanted to know. The only reason she'd even said yes to him was because she wanted to make Ron jealous. But seeing as he stuck around for the rest of the year, she could guess that he'd not regretted it. "But I can tell you that there were a couple of people that regretted _not_ asking." She looked quickly over at the door. " I've got to go, McGonagall is looking for me and I dare not stay in one room for more than a few minutes, or else Draco will surely find me."

"Then why do you bother running?" Mel asked almost indignantly.

Hermione sent her a wicked smile over her shoulder as she walked out. "Because it's fun, and it tortures him to know he can't catch me until I want him to."

* * *

She smiled as she saw David standing in a corner, talking to someone, she had two choices, come down the stairs or through a side hallway. And since she wasn't really into the thought of breaking her ankle, she chose the safer of two routes. His friend, and she said a silent prayer of thanks that the friend had a date, nudged him and said something that she couldn't hear.

And he turned, his hair was smoothed and his black dress robes were pressed, he looked like he was made to wear that look. Then again, he managed to look good in anything. But it was the look on his face, the completely stunned expression that had her speechless. Even if she had wanted to say something witty, maybe something flirtatious, she wouldn't have been able to get it out.

He walked over to her, leaned in. "You look absolutely stunning." He smiled as she gulped, his breath tickled her skin, her heart skipped. And she knew there was heat rising to her cheeks. She turned her head to look at him, blinked back shock when he was only an inch from her face.

With a small smile, she took a careful step away from him and nodded toward the entrance. "If you can give me just a minute, I promised someone I'd find them the moment I got here."

"Alright." He nodded, offered her his arm. "I'll go with you."

With a laugh, she hooked her hand in the crook of his elbow and scanned the large amount of people. "He's over there." She said finally, spotting Draco against a wall. It took some maneuvering, but as they broke through the crowd, Draco caught sight of them.

She let go of David to throw herself into Draco's arms for a brief second. He was laughing as he put her down. "Melinda." He rested a hand on her shoulder, looked her over carefully. And finally settled on. "You look nice." She didn't comment, only grinned at him. "Go," He said after a minute. "Have fun."

They started away as Draco grabbed David's arm. "I'm keeping my eyes on you."

He just swallowed sharply. "Yes, sir."

* * *

Hermione stood in the corner, her mind still whirling. She hadn't meant to practically break down, but it had been the last straw in a very deep pile of confusion. And after a long moment to gather her thoughts, she knew what had to be done. If only she could find McGonagall. Ginny came up beside her, said nothing but just waited. "I can't lose what I have with Draco, Ginny." She said finally. "And if I leave, I'm bound to lose him."

"So what are you going to do?" Ginny knew already, she'd known that there would only be one real option for Hermione. But she wanted to hear her say it.

"I have to ask McGonagall to not hire a replacement." She hated thinking that someone was about to wake up with a nasty surprise, and be stuck jobless. She didn't have a choice. "And staying on permanently."

"What about Mel?" Ginny needed to know, as both a friend and as a professional. "She can't live here during the summer."

"We'll get a place close by, in Hogsmeade maybe." Hermione looked over, saw McGonagall walk out of the great hall. "Wish me luck." She smiled as she pushed off of the wall and strode toward her. McGonagall had seen her coming, and had slowed down to allow her to catch up with her. "Professor McGonagall," Hermione cleared her throat, suddenly afraid that she'd say no. "I was wondering if I could talk to you about my replacement."

McGonagall whirled around, her long dress swirling around her as she feigned shock. "Replacement? Why? Are you leaving already?"

"My temporary position ends on March first." She reminded her, "And I was thinking that maybe..."

McGonagall cut her off. "I don't know what you think your talking about, but your contract specifically says that you'll work for a minimum of at least three years."

"Oh." Hermione was left standing where she was as McGonagall walked off to speak with a student. She had a job. She had a permanent job, and she had a family, and a home. With that thought in mind, she set out to enjoy the ball.


	9. Finally Had Enough

He saw her from across the room, just the look she gave him stopped his already thumping heart. He'd known he was in love, but he hadn't realized quite how badly he'd fallen until he'd looked up to see her walk toward him. It was her, only her, it would only ever be her. He didn't think that would ever change, he couldn't even imagine life without her anymore. He couldn't stop thinking about how he'd like to draw her away into a dark room, lock the door, and do things to her. Lots of things. And when he was done, well, they could just start all over again. And when he wasn't thinking about that, he was thinking about her smile, her laugh, the way she used big words even when she was tired or drunk. The way her emotions could change with in milliseconds and she always managed to surprise him. Or the way her eyes softened when she talked to Mel, the way both of the women he loved looked so natural together, as if she'd always been her mother. He didn't know why that scared, as well as thrilled, him as much as it did, but mostly, it just felt right. She was there now, her arm sliding through his and setting his skin on fire through the fabric of his shirt. As her fingers traced his forearms, he knew she'd drive her insane if he didn't stop her. But he couldn't quite figure out how. She couldn't help but notice the way he shivered slightly, as if fighting something back. It didn't bother her, she knew the conflict. She felt it every time he simply brushed her skin, no matter how casual the gesture. So, as she knew everyone else would be distracted with the ball, she kissed him, smiled again as she stepped back, ready to behave. "Hi." She said finally. "Hi." He nodded, knew what he was going to do. As he'd known since this morning. He made a show of relaxing slightly as they walked into the Great Hall. Still, it completely scared him that she'd have other plans. "You've been avoiding me." "I've been busy." She lied easily, scanning the room for any sign of danger. She wasn't stupid, lots of people, noise, places to hide. This was the perfect time for some one to try something. It would have felt better if she knew where her two favorite Aurors were. "Where are Ron and Harry?" "Harry is arguing with his wife over who knows what," He gestured over to a corner, where they were indeed in some kind of passionate debate. This was common for them, she knew, and they could literally be arguing over anything and everything. She looked just long enough to make sure that it was all in good nature before turning her attention back to Draco. Just quick enough to notice his apparent disgust as he said, "And Ron's been looking for you for the better part of ten minutes. You probably should go find him, see what he wants." "Well," she smiled as naturally as possible. She was getting so sick of Ron and Draco's aggression. She just wanted to have fun tonight, and not argue with them over stupid things. "He'll just have to wait. I want a dance first." And that was the first time he'd noticed the band had started playing, he'd been so caught up in their conversation that he'd missed the first few measures. It was slow, almost a waltz, a great way to draw people in. And it was just fast enough to not bore the dancers. Hermione had chosen the band well, he'd have to congratulate her on that, he'd taken one look at the list of potentials and quickly left the decision to her. So, happy to oblige, he took her in his arms and they danced. It was like a small piece of a dream, like something she'd only ever imagined. They floated across the dance floor, much smoother than she remembered dancing with Krum. Then again, they'd been young and dancing hadn't been part of Victor's skill set. she glanced around at all the people around them. Most of the teachers had started dancing and even Harry and Ginny had found their way out of their corner. Mel was wrapped up in David, and she could only wonder where Ron had gone off to. Her curiosity didn't last long as she watched him approach them, looking much better in modern dress robes than in the old smelly ones he'd worn their fourth year. Quickly she tried to convey a message to him, to halt him in what she knew he was about to do. But he ignored her as he tapped Draco on the shoulder. They stopped dancing simply to stare at him. "What?" Draco asked shortly. "I'd like to dance Hermione, if you wouldn't mind." Ron nudged him aside slightly as she looked at Draco with a small smile. She didn't know what to say, there was nothing really _to _say. Draco just held up his hands in surrender and walked away. "Shall we?" She walked off the dance floor in the opposite direction of Draco, waited until they were away from the large crowd before looking at him. "What's your problem, Ron? Why can't you just let me be happy?" "Because your jumping right into this," He ran his fingers through his still slightly disrupted hair. "Your turning into someone I don't know and that concerns me." "I'm not any different than I was a year ago." She told him, watched everybody out of the corner of her eye. "The only difference is that I have a child, and I have a lover that actually makes me feel wanted." He wanted pockets to shove his hands into, settled for fisting his hands at his sides. "I didn't make you feel wanted?" "You want the truth, Ron?" She waited for a second because instinct had her looking around for trouble. "You never did. _I_ kissed _you_, remember? But even when we were living together, you had this wall up." "Hermione, I..." And he was hit by something that had him falling flat. She turned to call for help, only to be hit as well, square in the chest. And the last thing she could see was Lucius Malfoy's face. 


	10. Both brave and stupid

_There's probably only going to be a few more chapters. I didn't want to drag on and end up boring you all. So here you are, the next installment. I'll try to update again really soon._

* * *

She was wakened by the cold and the wet, but mostly the cold. The wind slapped against her face violently, her curls were matted with leaves and twigs. She didn't remember why she was sitting in the snow in the middle of the woods. For that matter, she couldn't remember why she was in a dress or why she'd curled her hair in the first place.

Shakily she rose, jumped only slightly when she heard the groan beside her. He looked so familiar, the red head that was sprawled out among the leaves and snow. As she knelt down to see if he was alright, she realized she couldn't even remember her own name.

Panic rose in her throat as she heard a twig snap behind her, they weren't alone here in the woods. The words "forbidden forest" popped into her head, but they meant honestly nothing to her. She rose to look at the blonde man, tall, scary, and creepish. Something, deep in the foggy thoughts of her brain, told her to run. But she couldn't just leave desert the man on the ground beside her, not when she knew he was important to her. "My friend," That was what he was, she realized, a friend, a friend with no name. "I think he's sick and I don't think I can find my way back."

"Well then, why don't I just give you a hand." The man smiled and stepped toward her, a stick at his side. Was that a wand? How did she know it was a wand? How did she know to be afraid of that breakable piece of wood? Did she have magic? She didn't have a wand, she couldn't be magic.

But as he raised the odd object toward her, she didn't ignore the voice screaming in her head to run, to never stop running. "And she could hear him scream "Filthy little mud-blood!" behind her. Was he insulting her? IT seemed like it, what ever it meant, his words cut deep. She didn't look to see if she was being followed, but stopped, crouched at the base of a tree. Her heart was pounding so hard she wondered it didn't break right out of her chest.

Memories swamped her, another calling her mud-blood, a young blond boy with beautiful, sad eyes. Her punching him in the face, laughing about it with the red head and another boy. They were her best friends, she could feel it, but she couldn't even remember their names.

She wasn't even sure why she was running, or why she'd chosen the direction she had, or even why she was so afraid. It wasn't even a fear for herself anymore, more a sharp terror for someone more vulnerable. Someone who was almost defiantly in need of protection from something terrible.

She hadn't heard him coming as he gripped her hair painfully and pulled her to her feet. "You made a mistake, not heeding my warning and returning the brat when you had the chance, Granger."

And it all came back with with that name, who she was, why she was in the woods, who's ife was worth the cold sick feeling in her stomach. Lucius would kill her here, and now. There'd be nothing between Bellatrix and Mel. The others didn't know, they hadn't been told. "He'll kill you." She clenched her teeth, tried to sound brave through the fear. "Blood or not, coming after Mel will be your end."

He only looked at her like she was something lower than a snake, lower than a slimy little worm. "It's not me he'll touch if harm comes to my niece. He might, however, come at me when he finds your body, naked on the stairs to the dungeon. It'll be even better if one of his precious leeches find you, maybe it will even be a Griffindor. But that's hoping for just a little too much, isn't it."

"You have just a large, gaping hole in your plan." She had to get to Mel, and she couldn't let herself be afraid of him, couldn't be afraid for Draco either.

"Really?" He poked his wand painfully into her stomach. The breath she'd been holding released on a whimper. He got a tighter grip on her hair, yanked harder. "What might that be?"

"Your plan," She tried not to think of the wand still jabbing her in the stomach, or of the chances that her plan might actually work, slim to none. "Your entire plan rests on me letting you kill me. I don't intend to let that happen." And she lunged out of his grip.

* * *

The ball was in full swing and Draco was stuck. He'd seen Hermione stalk off the dance floor, much to his hidden delight, and had watched Ron follow her, not so great. He hadn't seen or heard from her since and that worried him.

It wasn't like he could just leave, he was needed to watch and make sure nothing went too wrong. Hermione was supposed to be here, this was, after all, the project McGonagall had assigned both of them. That only encouraged the nagging feeling in his stomach. And just as he turned to look for Harry, he got a glimpse of insane curls and wicked eyes. She was gone before he could blink, but there was no way he'd imagined what he saw. Bellatrix was here, mingling with the students.

Harry spotted him from across the floor, froze mid-wave. There was no mistaking the look in Draco's eyes. And with a quick word to his wife he took off to secure the entrances and make sure she wouldn't be able to get out. In the back of his mind it seemed odd to him that both Ron and Hermione would have just disappeared, but knowing them they were probably off in a corner, away from the crowd, having a private shouting match.

Draco searched for Mel in the large crowd, his heart nearly stopped when he saw her. She was upset, running out the door, in a hurry to go somewhere.

He followed her, knowing all the while that one wrong move could get them both killed. He knew when someone had snapped. She ran down the dimly lit hallways, at one point stopping to remove the heels she wore, the glow of the moon was the only light to illuminate her path. Only when she was sure nobody in the Great Hall would hear her did she speak. Because she'd been told to meet her here in return for something.

"Please." Her voice broke on that single syllable and Draco knew Hermione's heart would have broke if she had been here. "I'll come with you if you'll only spare him."

Bellatrix stepped into the dim blue light, he could see the remnants of her sanity had slipped away. She walked idly around her daughter, the long thin wand ready at her side to attack her own blood should one wrong move be made. She cared not, this was simply about pride and her name. She smiled at Mel and both Mel and Draco knew there was no way Mel could talk her out of it. "Can't you see that I'm saving you, Child?" Mel just shook her head, but Bellatrix didn't even notice. "You cannot become attached to things like this. They'll never do you any good."

Mel just looked at David, his lifeless body had been just dropped in the corner. She could see the subtle, controlled breathing, the flicker of motion beneath his eye lids. He was alive, but stalling for time. She couldn't help but think of him as both brave and stupid, again. And with new eyes, she looked at the woman she'd thought of as Mother. She was insane, cruel to the bone, and Mel felt nothing toward her. Nothing but disdain. "You cannot have him."

Bellatrix blinked back the shock, glanced at her daughter in the moonlight. Blonde hair whipped around her face that had come so suddenly. Grayish blue eyes that were damp and full of anger. Her cheek bones were high but soft, making her look more adult that she was. And as she looked at Mel, she saw Draco. "You'd rather choose creatures like this." She kicked at David, "Over your own family."

Mel cocked her head to the side, stepped around so that if Bellatrix looked at her she wouldn't see David at all. "Is that a question, or a fact?"

Bellatrix moved as Mel had predicted, but now Mel was stuck, she could either go out the window or she could stand here hoping someone would come by. But as Bellatrix looked down at the wand in her hand, Mel knew there was no option.

"I'm sorry, Child, but you've simply given me no choice." She rose the wand to Mel, "You just wouldn't listen, and I can't have the world knowing how shameful my own daughter behaves."

"I won't tell anybody." Mel didn't want to die, not here. "I'll go with you and I'll never, ever consider making such a mistake again."

Bellatrix just shook her head. "No, it's too late for that."

* * *

Hermione was still running, why did it seem she was always running from someone? This was the exact reason she hadn't become an Auror, she'd wanted to be done with the adventures and just settle in peacefully into a lifestyle of her choice. But here she was on the run again.

However, she should have been looking where she was going. She tripped over a root and went sprawling to the ground. As she went to rise, a foot pressed against her back, forcing her down again. She didn't have to look up to know who it was, or that there was no way she could run any more.

But what she hadn't expected was for the foot, along with the rest of the body, to go flying. She rolled slightly to look at Ron, standing a few yards away with his wand still out. "I knew there was a reason I didn't like Malfoys." He laughed weakly as he helped her up, hooked his arm around her waist to steady her. "The castle's this way, I think."

"Yeah, probably." She looked at him for the first time, noted the cut on his cheek. "Your bleeding again, why are you always bleeding?"

He just rolled his eyes. "I cut it on a tree trying to get to you, dumb ass." She went to punch his arm, frowned at her feeble attempt. "There's my girl." He adjusted her so that he supported most of her weight. She was exhausted and was probably going to collapse here pretty soon.

As they broke through the forest there was a loud explosion, their eyes darted up to the colored smoke rising from the hole in the wall, but what Hermione noticed most was the person falling out. "Mel." She said simply as they hobbled their way faster to the castle.


	11. The aftermath

**Thank you for your patience, school is hectic and insane. By the way, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!! So here, without further adieu, here is the second to last chapter.**

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Mel, was all Hermione could think, Mel had fallen. And although it had seemed like forever since the explosion, they still made it to the body before anybody else. Ron just stood there, looking at it as Hermione dropped to her knees to check for a pulse. "Unless she got older and a whole lot uglier," Ron glanced only once at the crowd of spectators swarming toward them from inside the castle, "she's not Mel."

"You think?" She'd been so relieved to find Bellatrix and not Mel there on the ground, so terribly relieved. "She's still breathing, shallow, but breathing none the less." Almost shakily, she rose and took Ron's wand from him. It felt wrong in her hand, that was what she told herself made her stomach so uneasy about what she wanted to do, what she would do. Once and for all.

"Hermione." Ron gulped, knowing Hermione was unstable and she was dangerous when holding a wand. He'd seen her do things, things that could hurt, and she'd regret it if she did. "What are you doing?"

"She's never going to leave us alone." Hermione's voice broke with anger and left over fear. "She'll always be around, haunting us. How can Mel ever get on with her life if she has to worry about this leech? How can any of us survive if she lives."

Ron placed his hand on the wand, wrapped his fingers around it carefully. He needed to her to see his eyes, to sturdy herself in reality for a while. She'd been through too much too fast and she was operating on pure adrenaline, the combination could turn her crazy, he was well aware of that. "You can't, 'Mione, you can't stoop to her level and become a killer."

Hermione looked at him like he was an idiot before turning back to Bellatrix. "Petrificus Totalus." Bellatrix's body froze stiffly and Hermione poked at her with her foot to make sure it had worked. "She doesn't deserve to live, but she's sure as hell not going to win by taking me down with her either."

"That's my girl." He nodded when she handed back the wand. By now the mass of young faces had made it to them and were whispering excitedly to each other. They'd find it cool, a story to tell over the next few years to the classes who weren't here, and it was perfectly normal, which settled something in his heart. Hogwarts could and would survive everything. Hermione, however, looked like she was either about to break down or pass out. "I'll get someone to take care of her and Malfoy." She blinked at him and didn't say anything. "Go see your daughter." It would still feel odd to think that Hermione had a daughter. "Make sure she's alright."

She still didn't answer him, just stumbled through the parted crowd. And as she approached the castle doors, they were there. Draco's arm was wrapped around her shoulders and they were covered in a fine gray dust, she could only imagine it was from the explosion. What she didn't know was they'd just taken David to the hospital wing, and they'd been heading out to see if Bellatrix had survived.

Mel leaped at Hermione, she was shaking and sobbing almost uncontrollably. Hermione held her close, looked at Draco with tears in her own eyes. "What happened?"

"She took David." Mel answered instead, she still hadn't let go. "He'd just left to get me some punch. God, I told him I could get it myself but he insisted and I let him go. He called me his princess, and I let him go. I shouldn't have let him go." Her tears came harder now, and Hermione tightened her grip.

"It's not your fault, she would have found another way." She knew the words wouldn't make sense to her now, but later when she was alone and could think, it would help. "What happened next?"

"She found me. And she told me he'd be dead if I didn't meet her in the third floor corridor. When I got there, I could see how insane she was. David was just dropped in the corner, like some kind of rag doll. She was going to kill me, I'd become too much of a problem and wasn't worth keeping around." She broke off to look at Draco. "You, you were there the whole time. You hurt her before she could hurt me."

Hermione nodded, broke way. "Go see David, settle your mind that he's alright. Then we'll all spend the night in my apartment."

"Can David come with me? It sounds a little weird, but I don't want to leave him tonight." David hadn't wanted her to go when she left him in the hospital wing. He'd been content with the idea of just holding onto her for a while, but she had left to find Hermione with the promise that she'd return when she had a chance.

"He's going to stay overnight, Mel." Draco shook his head before he smiled. "But if he doesn't mind, you can probably stay with him."

Mel nodded before running off. Hermione waited as she watched her disappear. "How bad is he?"

"He got hit pretty hard before we got there." Draco frowned as they walked. "Madam Pomfrey will do what she can and he should be fine. She said he'll be in and out all night. Probably a good idea to have someone there when he wakes up." Knowing, he wrapped an arm around her. "You're covered in dirt and leaves, your knees and palms are skinned, and you look like you can hardly walk anymore. Do you want to tell me?"

So she told him, from seeing his father at the ball and watching Ron fall to holding Ron's wand, ready to kill Bellatrix without thought. But as her voice trailed off, she hadn't even noticed that they'd made it to her apartment and he'd shoved a cup of hot tea into her hands. He was pacing now, his face grim and dingy from wall dust. She only sat there watching him, it was unnerving. Did she know the turmoil that took place in his head? Both of the women he loved had come so close to death and both of them had shown tremendous bravery. Just once, he wished they weren't quite so courageous. He'd been able to be there for Mel, but he hadn't known, until he set eyes on Hermione, that something had happened.

But they were alright now, he reminded himself, Mel was with David and Hermione was here, with him. She was always there, he'd had a dream that she was there every day as they got older and watched Mel make her life, it'd been happy, the happiest he'd ever felt. And she was still here, even after his father tried to murder. So he was certain this was the right decision, he'd been right to buy the ring before, and he should have known this would be the moment. Not as he planned, standing in the middle of dancing teenagers as the clock struck midnight, but here.

"Hermione," He took the cup from her and pulled her to her feet. "Do you believe I can make you happy? That we could be happy together?"

She didn't understand why he'd ask. Was he doubting her after what had happened? Did he think she wouldn't want a future with him merely because his father was completely insane? What could she do to prove to this man she wasn't going anywhere. "Of course."

"Then marry me," His words were jumbled, she had to concentrate to catch it all. " I know it's insane and we've only been seeing each other a few months, but I don't want to wake up without you. Please, don't say no. Tell me you'll think about it, or that you can't make up your mind, but don't tell me no."

"I could never say no." Hermione started to say but Draco had cut her off again.

"And I'll take your name, if you'll let me." He'd intended to change his name after the school year anyway, Malfoy had become some kind of curse. Every time he said it he could literally feel the temperature drop by several degrees. So he'd take her name gladly, if only she'd say yes.

"Draco, stop." She gripped his arm painfully, released it when she knew he was listening. "You know what your problem is? You never let anyone else get a word in. How the hell am I supposed to say yes if you won't shut up for a second?"

"Yes?" Draco had to be sure he was hearing her right.

"Yes." She laughed as he lifted her off her feet, "Put me down, you idiot." The moment her feet were on the ground, she frowned, she hadn't thought of it until now. "Do you think Mel will mind if I marry her cousin? I am, after all, her mother."

He kissed her in between laughs. Only she would be worried about something so monumentally obvious. "Hermione, I've been practically raising Mel for as long as I can remember, I don't think she'll mind."

"We'll see..." Hermione smiled, "We should go tell everybody, if they're still here."

"They're still here." Draco just pulled her back against her, "And they'll be here when I'm finished with you. In, oh say, two to five hours."

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**A/N: I'm considering writing a third part about Ron and the mysterious red head, Ms. Lily. (I was going to work it into this story but it just didn't work out that way) I'd love your opinions. I mean it, REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!**


	12. In the perfect inbetween

**Okay, this is it for this one. Whether or not I do more with the characters all depends on if I can come up with a plot and make it work. Thank you all for reading an especially, THANK YOU TO ALL WHO REVIEWED!!!!! You guys are so amazing. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this final epilogue, though it has nothing to really do with the main characters.**

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Ron stepped out into the night air, the frigid air bit through his clothes. Idly, he scanned the trees. He'd come out as an excuse to get away. God, she was getting married. Just a few months ago she'd told him she loved him and left for Hogwarts.. Now she was engaged and had a teenage daughter who looked up to her, as Ginny had looked up to his mom. It was bewildering.

And that wasn't what bugged him, he'd be the first to admit that. It wasn't that she'd replaced him without even looking back. After all, he'd tried to break up with her. The relationship never stood a chance. He couldn't offer her what she needed, what she deserved. Commitment, tenderness, love. He'd never even made a real attempt. He hadn't even acknowledged her affection that day by the train, just pushed her on the car and said goodbye. The fact that he didn't try, that he couldn't figure out how. Now that bothered him.

"Do you always stand outside in the cold snow after deciding to play the big brave hero." A voice asked from behind him.

"I didn't get much of a choice this time." He already knew who it was, had her face in his mind. Ms. Lily, at least that was what he'd thought Malfoy had called her. Last time he'd seen her she'd been both scared and furious, maybe that was why he remembered her with a gleam in her eye. He turned, expecting the husky voice to match the woman he had in his mind. It took all of his power not to gape when he saw her.

Her fiery hair lay not loose as she had worn it before, but clipped at the base of her neck with a simple flower pinned in it. Her blue eyes were sparkling in the dim light of the stars and seemed to be laughing though she had stopped. The fact that his heart did a roll meant nothing to him. She wore a simple dress the color of the flower she wore in her hair, a deep and contrasting shade of purple against her snowy skin. As a reflex to his intent stare, she smoothed the fabric of the skirt. "I know it's rude, but I saw you out here and curiosity got the better of me."

"You were at the ball?" He asked the obvious, not to be funny but because he couldn't think. " I didn't see you."

But she'd seen him. She'd had the greatest view of the entrance from where she had sat most of the time. "I was, yes." She laughed, refused to allow hurt to enter. "I'm afraid my date ran off with some Slytherin hussy." She came to stand next to him in the night air. "He was a dud anyway. No harm, no foul."

"Is he still breathing?" He asked, succeeding in getting a chuckle out of her. "Seriously though, it's freezing out here, you should get back inside."

"I'm fine." She lied. They'd been so lucky. It was only mid-February but all the snow had melted away in time for the dance. Their luck was obviously changing as the dreaded snow fell in huge clumps at alarming rates. And going by the massive clouds, it wasn't going to end anytime soon. Yea, one last blizzard.

"You're a horrible liar." He shook his head, pulled her under the shelter of the roof.

"I'm not a child." She complained, yanked her arm out of his grip. "You don't need to treat me like one."

"God, I don't even know your first name and your already a pain in my ass." He threw his hands up in frustration. There was nothing he hated more than a difficult woman, and yet nothing he loved quite as much.

"Tanya." She glared. He looked at her oddly for a moment. "My name, it's Tanya. Not that it matters, we'll probably never see each other again after tonight."

"Well it's certainly been interesting knowing you." He smiled at her. "Goodnight." And with that he turned and walked back inside.

"Goodnight." She muttered as she too headed in but took a different hallway with the intent of clearing her head. Though she passed a couple of students, no one stopped her. She walked blindly, found herself staring at the gaping hole. It wouldn't even be looked at until morning and the teachers trusted the students not to throw themselves out of it tonight. She sat down, let her feet hang down off the jagged edge and stared out at the beautiful snow. It wasn't so bad right here, both inside and outside. If only she could sit in the middle of everything, the perfect in between.

Someone sat next to her. She looked over at them. She'd met her now and again, Mel. And yet again, this poor girl was the entire reason these people attacked the school. She didn't want to know what it was like to be in the middle of a family feud, to have the weight of a parent who obviously despises you. But she wasn't about to say anything about that. "How's David doing?" He was a great guy.

"He's asleep," Mel yawned as quietly as possible. "I couldn't sit still any longer, I just needed to get out of there." She looked at Tanya, smiled a little. "You looked like you could use a companion."

"I guess you could say that." Tanya laughed once, "I tend to think way too much when I'm by myself."

"I have the same problem." Mel looked toward the falling flakes. "Beautiful, isn't it? Even if it's cold and unwanted."

"Yeah." Tanya leaned against a piece of wall. "Beautiful."

And as they talked away, everyone else was finding their own way to close the night. Hermione and Draco were in a meeting with McGonagall, David was in the hospital wing for the rest of the night, Ron had found his way down to the Hogs Head, and Harry had taken Ginny home the moment the excitement was over. It was a mundane end to a crazy and screwed up day.


	13. Authors Note, SORRY!

**A/N:**

I absolutely deplore these things but I wanted to inform you, my readers and reviewers, that part three is in fact up and complete ( look for Contagious with the characters Ron and OC). Also, I will be starting part four, Sophia's Song, relatively soon.

In other news, I've decided to make weekly updates and announcements on my profile pertaining to ALL my current and prior projects. This way, I hope to keep a regular contact with the readers so that you don't think I have abandoned my stories if I don't happen to post something for the week. Plus, it just sounds like a good idea. :)

I hope you aren't too mad at me for posting this (though it was probably kinda obvious what this would be since this story ended months ago). Thank you for letting me waste your time.


	14. Another Author's note, PLEASE READ!

Hey I'm so sorry, I've had horrible writing block for forever. But good news is, I have chapters in the works so those should be posted shortly. In other news, I need your guy's help.

This is going out to multiple stories, some finished, some not, so I apologize.

If any of you are Harry Potter fans and like RPG's can you please go to (remove the *s) f*a*c*e*b*o*o*k*.c*o*m*/H*o*g*w*a*r*t*s*.R*P*G.3*9*4 I'm trying to get it to run as close to realistic as possible but I need students! And maybe a few teachers for those who have a particular interest in being one! Please, if I get 30 people to enroll I will work nonstop on the chapters until they are done and the stories come t a conclusion.

And for the Harry Potter fanfictions, I will start working on the story of Mel and David if I get 60 enrolled


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